Christmas Cookie Sparkles

Classically soft, delightfully festive, and impossibly easy, Christmas Cookie Sparkles are the holiday sugar cookie everyone adores. They start with a plush, cream-cheese-enhanced sugar cookie dough, and are rolled in sparkling sugar or your favorite sprinkles for the prettiest crunch on the outside and an ultra-soft center inside.

I originally published this recipe in 2017. These cookies have been a longtime reader favorite (and you may recognize them from Sally’s Cookie Addiction all dressed up in holiday colors!), and this updated post now includes more tips and sprinkle options.

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A Cookie That Always Sparkles

Yes, they’re called Cookie Sparkles, and for good reason: you will roll each cookie in sanding sugar for a shimmery, glittery finish. But don’t feel limited! While the original recipe uses classic sanding sugar sprinkles, these cookies are wonderfully flexible and take well to jimmies, nonpareils, holiday-themed mixes, pastel blends, rainbow sprinkles, even natural-color sanding sugars.

If it sticks to cookie dough, you can use it. 🙂

Here’s Why You’ll Love These Christmas Cookie Sparkles

• Extremely soft thanks to a touch of cream cheese (like my frosted cream cheese cookies)
• Minimal chill time (just 1 hour!)
• Drop-style dough—no rolling pin, no cutters
• Customizable with any sprinkles you love
• Classic sugar cookie flavor with extra richness

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Grab These Ingredients

This recipe uses the basics you likely already have in your kitchen. In fact, it’s the same dough as my Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies—just without the frosting.

1. Flour: All-purpose flour gives these cookies their structure.
2. Baking Powder: Helps them rise gently.
3. Salt: A must for balancing sweetness.
4. Butter: Make sure it’s properly softened for the creaming stage. See How to Cream Butter & Sugar if you need a refresher on this step.
5. Cream Cheese: The secret ingredient that makes these cookies exceptionally soft and creamy.
6. Granulated Sugar: Simple, classic sweetness.
7. Egg: For binding and structure.
8. Vanilla + Almond Extract: The almond extract adds such a lovely bakery-style flavor.
9. Sanding Sugar or Any Sprinkles: The sparkly coating. Use classic sanding sugar or get creative!

How to Make Christmas Cookie Sparkles

Today’s cookies are drop-style, not roll-out style like classic Christmas cookies—meaning they’re simple, fast, and perfect for kids to help with.

Whisk the dry ingredients. Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Combine wet + dry ingredients. The dough will be thick, as pictured above.

Chill the dough for about 1 hour, and then roll into balls (about 1 Tablespoon each). Roll in sprinkles or sanding sugar:

Gently flatten the tops. This helps them spread evenly.

Bake until the edges are set. Quick, unfussy, and reliably delicious!

Don’t Skip The Cream Cheese

A couple ounces of cream cheese transform these from “good sugar cookies” to truly exceptional sugar cookies. Cream cheese adds:

• Softness without making the cookies cakey
• A creamy, slightly tangy richness
• A plush, smooth center that contrasts beautifully with the crisp sprinkle coating
• Once you try sugar cookies with cream cheese in the dough, it’s hard to go back!

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To Sparkle or Not to Sparkle

Love a crunchy exterior? Stick with sanding sugar or sprinkles because it’s festive, fun, and adds a satisfying texture. Prefer your sugar cookies soft all the way through? Skip the sprinkles and bake them plain. They’re wonderful frosted with my cream cheese frosting (use the version from my Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies) or enjoy them unfrosted as simple, extra-soft sugar cookies.

Either way, you’re using the same reliable dough.

This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.

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